1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator and an ice maker thereof, and more particularly, to an ice maker provided in a refrigerating chamber of a refrigerator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a refrigerator is an electric home appliance for storing foods in a relatively low temperature state so that the foods can be kept in a fresh state for an extended period of time.
Specifically, a refrigerator includes a refrigerating chamber that is maintained in a temperature range of 1 to 4° C. to store foods such as vegetables in a fresh state, and a freezing chamber that is maintained at about −18° C. to store foods such as meat or fish in a frozen state.
In addition, refrigerators are classified into a type in which a freezing chamber is positioned above a refrigerating chamber, a type in which a freezing chamber is positioned below a refrigerating chamber, and a type in which a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber are positioned side by side.
Alternatively, refrigerators may be classified into a side-by-side door refrigerator having right and left doors, and a single-side door refrigerator having upper and lower doors.
Furthermore, an ice maker for making ice and an ice bank for storing the ice are provided in any one of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber.
Specifically, in a case where the ice maker and the ice bank are provided in the freezing chamber, water stored in the ice maker is made into ice by means of a refrigerant that has passed through an evaporator, and the ice falls into the ice bank provided below the ice maker and is stored therein.
Meanwhile, in a case where the ice maker is provided in the refrigerating chamber, there is a difficult problem in that it is not easy to make ice using cold air supplied to the refrigerating chamber since the refrigerating chamber is kept at a temperature above zero. That is, in a case where the ice maker is provided in the refrigerating chamber, there is a problem in that ice cannot be completely made, or the ice is immediately melted although being made.